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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: straw · mine · rock · pop · leaves · stem · stick · fine

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. pop — to visit
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. rock — a stone
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. mine — for digging
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. rock — music
  16. pop — music
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fine — all right
  20. pop — soda
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. stick — a piece of wood

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com